Fall 2013
000032
67
Mowat, Suite 100
Toronto ON,
M6K 3E3
T • 416 • 484 • 1250
F • 416 • 484 • 1257
[email protected]
Y O R K H E R ILT iA bG eE r tPy R OvPiEll
R TaIgEeS &I N T o
LrIoBnEtRoT Y C aVrIpLeLtA GFE a c t o r y N e w s
In This Issue… Who are you calling a KnitWit™?, Scratch partners are kings of connecting, Happy birthday to Autism Ontario!
Hats off to Active America Corp. for their KnitWits™ success
In 2005, with several years’ experience
in 2010, with licences including the World
and three successful companies under
Wildlife Fund, Hello Kitty and Dr. Seuss
their belts, Stephen Acheson and David
in North America, and the Sesame Street
Setka, partners in Active America Corp.
licence marketed worldwide.
(Suite 105, 1179 King St. W.), launched
their line of KnitWits™ Originals in Canada
“We decided early on that we
would give back generously when
we started.”
Stephen Acheson,
as a line of finger puppets. One year later,
David experimented with 3-dimensional
character faces on hand-knitted hats and
a trend was born that soon grew.
over 2.6 million popular KnitWits™ Original
animal hats, shipping them to more than
KnitWits™ under production
Active America Corp.
Eight years later, the duo have produced
A central focus of the business since
2,500 retailers in over 14 countries. In
2001 has been an involvement in children’s
fact, they’re the bestselling animal hats
charities in Mexico (La Roca, Tijuana),
in the world. The line has expanded to
Nepal (Antardristi), and Guatemala (Lugar
include sweaters, helmet covers, gloves
de Promesas). “We decided early on
and slippers.
that we would give back generously when
we started. It was a personal decision
Each piece is handcrafted in Nepal
from 100% New Zealand wool using
that David and I felt was important and it
azo-free dyes. Every hat goes through a
became a part of the company ethos before
12-step process from dyeing to tailoring,
charitable giving by small businesses was
and is detailed by hand to create the
popular. We only advertised our involvement
high-quality product that KnitWits™
with our partner charities a year ago,”
is known for. The Nepal-based factory
says Acheson. A central focus in the past
looms run 11 months a year and produce
five years has been leading the sponsorship
products with a handmade feel, setting
of a young women’s counselling centre
them apart from competitors’ products
in Katmandu through Antardristi. For more
that are produced in more machine-driven
information on what they do, go to
factories. KnitWits expanded into licensing
www.knitwits.com.
Looking out
for the health
of travellers
Kudos & Accomplishments
The International Association for Medical
Assistance to Travellers (IAMAT) (Suite 036,
67 Mowat Ave.) is a non-profit organization
dedicated to travel health. In an era of
increasing international travel, founder
Dr. Vincenzo Marcolongo understood that
there was a need for collaboration among
Happy 40th birthday Autism Ontario
medical practitioners around the world
In 1973, a group of parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
to help travellers.
(ASD) came together to form the Ontario Society for Autistic Citizens.
The organization that we now know as Autism Ontario (Suite 004,
IAMAT provides impartial health
information to travellers and has established
1179 King St. W.) has grown dramatically since that time and become
a worldwide network of English-speaking
the most significant parent voice group in Ontario. There are chapters
doctors committed to assisting members
in most communities in the province that organize parent-to-parent
while travelling. The organization also
support and programs for children and adults with ASD, and advocate
provides travel medicine scholarships to
tirelessly with government policy-makers, increase public awareness
improve medical standards in clinics
about autism, provide information, education and referrals, and support
and hospitals abroad.
research on ASD.
Dr. Marcolongo established IAMAT in
“Our mission,” explains Executive Director Margaret Spoelstra,
1960 following an incident in a Rome hospital
“is to ensure that each individual with Autism Spectrum Disorder is
when a young Canadian woman studying
provided the means to achieve quality of life as a respected member
music and travelling in Italy was referred to
of society.”
him by a non-English-speaking colleague.
The patient had a high fever and was suffering
from general weakness.
Having interned in Montreal,
Dr. Marcolongo spoke some English and
was able to find out from the patient
the sequence of events relating to her care.
He discovered the cause of her illness:
a painkiller prescribed a few weeks earlier
An honour for Autism Ontario’s ED
Autism Ontario Executive Director Margaret Spoelstra was recently
appointed to the Order of Canada. The Order recognized Marg’s efforts
to increase public awareness, research and advocacy for individuals
and families affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Congratulations, Marg, on both the honour and on the good work
you do each and every day.
was destroying her white blood cells.
After intensive treatment, including blood
transfusions, the patient’s condition
Scratch principals kings of connecting
stabilized and she fully recovered.
In their 10-year tenure at the Carpet Factory, scratch (Suite 240,
67 Mowat Ave.) principals Robert Wise and David Riabov have partnered
It turns out that the prescribed medication,
commonly dispensed in Italy at the time,
with a long list of fellow TCFers. Partly for reasons of convenience and
was harmless to Italians, but harmful
also in an effort to support their neighbours, they’ve sought out printers,
to people of Anglo-Saxon descent. Had
promoters and producers from within the walls of the complex.
Dr. Marcolongo not trained in Canada,
his prescription would have been identical
There are experts in a variety of disciplines who are literally steps
to that of the physician who treated
away. It allows us to work much closer than we would have otherwise,”
the patient originally.
explains Riabov.
Dr. Marcolongo made the medical needs
“Seeking out partners from the Carpet Factory made perfect sense.
Their long list of alliances includes InMotion, Web Relay,
of travellers his life’s work. His daughter
Brandon Communications, Three in a Box, Reef/Moxie Promotional
Tullia is carrying on that work and manages
Staffing, LTS Inc., Transletters, Moveable Inc., aiyoku, Quiksilver
programs and development for the organization
and Beam Canada.
out of her Carpet Factory office.
The kings also get kudos for making a mean margarita!
Beanfield Metroconnect
plunges in with
Waterfront Toronto
With the award of the prestigious Waterfront Toronto contract
in 2011, the Liberty Village-based company made the decision to
extend their telecom services to Toronto condominium residents.
Residential services include fibre-to-the-home Internet and
phone, with IPTV scheduled to roll out in 2014. “TV is the next
logical step for Beanfield – not only is it part of our service
expansion plans, but customers keep asking for it,” explains
Beanfield CEO Dan Armstrong. “Our IPTV service will include a
very unique and stylish custom set-top box loaded with features,
a very user-friendly interface, and all the channels a person
could possibly ask for. Customers will get the premium service
and experience at a reasonable price, as they’ve come to
expect from Beanfield.”
“We’re excited to provide the ultimate
connectivity for Waterfront residents,
as well as for the 7,500 athletes who
will be calling Toronto’s waterfront home
during the Games.”
Chris Amendola, President,
Beanfield Metroconnect
Although it may seem like the company has experienced
significant overnight growth, Beanfield has been in business
for over two decades. Chris Amendola, together with founding
partner Dan Armstrong, made their first fibre connections
in the Toronto Carpet Factory building from a tiny office in
Chris Amendola and Dan Armstrong, Beanfield founders
the basement. The company focused on what was then an
underserviced business community, expanding and eventually
Beanfield Metroconnect (Suite 506, 77 Mowat Ave.) is
connecting the entire Liberty Village neighbourhood and
ramping up to build and operate an ultra-high-speed, ultra-
building a carrier-class network in the process.
broadband “Intelligent Community” fibre-optic network on the
lands being revitalized by Waterfront Toronto, currently the
fourth and fifth floors of the Carpet Factory. The company
largest urban revitalization project in North America. Residents
serves over 400 commercial buildings and operates four
will enjoy Internet speeds starting from 100 megabits per
data centres. Their fibre-optic network extends throughout
second (both uploading and downloading), with capacity to go
the GTA, with additional Points of Presence (POPs) in New
far beyond that. The network will rank within the top seven
York and Montreal – with fibre-optic infrastructure already
of the most sophisticated in the world, and will also provide
being constructed throughout Montreal. “Our presence in New
residents with access to other smart services like neighbourhood-
York and Montreal literally puts Beanfield on the map,” says
wide Wi-Fi, IPTV and the NewBlueEdge.ca, a unique waterfront
Amendola. “We can now extend our services into the U.S.
community portal.
or Montreal, both logical extensions of our Toronto network.”
Beanfield has also been named the Official Waterfront
Today, Beanfield occupies expansive office space on the
Despite significant growth, Beanfield remains grounded
Communication Services Supplier for the 2015 Pan Am and
in Liberty Village. The company is working with local developers
Parapan Am Games. They’ll provide state-of-the-art network
and property managers to connect Liberty Village condominiums
infrastructure for Games venues all over the city and throughout
to their network. “We’re fast at work on the infrastructure
the Athletes’ Village. “Beanfield Metroconnect is proud to build
throughout East Liberty Village, and will soon be bringing
what will be one of the world’s leading community networks.
buildings on-net”, says Dan Armstrong. “Our roots are in Liberty
We’re excited to provide the ultimate connectivity for Waterfront
Village – and serving our community is a priority. We can best
residents, as well as for the 7,500 athletes who will be calling
serve by providing access to the services that will help improve
Toronto’s waterfront home during the Games,” says company
quality of life for our friends, neighbours and customers.”
president Chris Amendola.
For more info about Beanfield, email [email protected].
Moveable celebrates 30 years in the TCF
In 1983, a fledgling typesetting company called Moveable Type
set up shop in a 600 sq. ft. studio at 67 Mowat Avenue. Back
humble beginnings,” says Joe Kotler, company founder, “but the
“Our company has undergone many changes since its
then, typesetting was a stand-alone industry employing hundreds
one thing that has remained constant is what one of our clients
of thousands of people worldwide. But within a decade, once the
calls the ‘Moveable magic’ – our commitment to quality and
introduction of desktop publishing systems enabled designers to
service in everything we do. It’s been a great 30-year ride, and
handle their own typesetting, the industry had all but disappeared.
we look forward to many more interesting years.”
Moveable Type, however, did not disappear; in fact, it kept growing,
adding services and adapting to technological change. It eventually
77 Mowat Avenue, or visit www.moveable.com.
For more info, drop by Moveable reception at Suite 502,
shortened its name to Moveable, to reflect the fact that it had
become much more than just a typesetting company.
Today Moveable occupies more than 25,000 sq. ft. at the
Carpet Factory, and while it continues to offer typesetting and
proofreading services, especially for annual reports and corporate
communications projects, it also boasts a full-service printing
division occupying most of the lower level of 77 Mowat Avenue.
“We are one of the few commercial printers operating in Toronto’s
downtown core,” says James Li, company president.
In 2005, it spun off a sister company, Moveable Online,
which has since become a prominent player in enterprise web
content management, e-commerce and e-procurement.
Softchoice introduces CYOD
as a balanced alternative to BYOD
YANGAROO provides digital, cloud-based
solution for music and ad industries
The proliferation of personal mobile devices is changing the way
YANGAROO (18 Mowat Ave.) is a company dedicated to
we work and providing challenges to IT departments everywhere.
digital media management. YANGAROO’s patented Digital
Softchoice (Suite 200, 173 Dufferin St.) has found that many
Media Distribution System (DMDS) is a leading secure
IT professionals are reluctant to introduce a Bring Your Own
B2B digital cloud-based solution focused on the music
Device (BYOD) program to their workplace – and for good reason.
and advertising industries. The DMDS solution provides
Concerns about security, governance and the fact that many
more accountable, effective, and far less costly digital
employees are hesitant to take on the job of supporting their own
management of broadcast-quality media via the Internet.
devices, derail even the best intentioned BYOD program. There
is, however, a more balanced option emerging, and it’s called
and music videos to radio programmers, broadcasters,
Choose Your Own Device (CYOD). CYOD allows IT to maintain
journalists and other industry influencers anywhere in the
control of the devices within their environment while providing
world. It’s lightning fast, highly secure, economical and
employees with the opportunity to choose the technology device
environmentally friendly, too!
that works best for them.
many other awards programs use YANGAROO’s DMDS
Softchoice is currently walking the talk by rolling out a
DMDS Music™ delivers the highest quality new music
The GRAMMY™ Awards and the JUNO™ Awards and
CYOD pilot program across their organization. For the next couple
Awards System™ to conveniently manage the submission,
of months, they’re testing to see how much flexibility CYOD
nomination and judging for their thousands of members
will provide in terms of control, governance, mitigating risk and
located around the globe.
managing resources – all while giving employees a seat at the
table when it comes to choosing the technology they use at
work. Their theory is that CYOD will improve job satisfaction and
change the way they work with partners and clients. They’ve
chosen their most vocal and opinionated employees to provide
feedback and to share their experiences with the CYOD pilot.
They’ll share best practices at the conclusion of the pilot.
For more info, follow http://blogs.softchoice.com/itgrok/client/
cyod-a-new-way-to-embrace-mobile-devices/.
Unique opportunity available at 2 Fraser Avenue
We’re delighted to report that York Heritage, in partnership with
Adgar Investments & Development, has made another acquisition
in Liberty Village. A deal for the purchase of 2 Fraser Avenue,
formerly the Canada Bread building, closed recently. We don’t plan
to take up bread-making anytime soon, so if you know of anyone
looking for up to 90,000 square feet of unique commercial space,
please let us know.
WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN UP TO?
James Stewart, head of Geneva Film Co. (Suite 402, 67 Mowat Ave.) co-directed and
produced FOXED!, an award-winning, 3D animated short. FOXED! had its Canadian premiere
and theatrical run at the TIFF Bell Lightbox this summer. FOXED! is a cautionary tale about
child labour, growing up in an environment of parental control and how children are often
inaccurately portrayed in the eyes of their parents. Filming took 52 days on one stage
with animators advancing the action and camera positions one frame at a time. Stewart’s
intention is to make FOXED! a feature length film. Watch for it! For more info, visit
www.genevafilmco.com.
The Edge Interactive team (pictured right) (Suite 533, 67 Mowat Ave.) has been helping
students find schools and schools find students since 1995. Their latest initiative,
Study Abroad, found on their site www.schoolfinder.com, helps students find the right
information on studying in the UK, Ireland, the U.S., Australia and the Caribbean.
In addition to country-specific information and links, the site offers further info on
universities and colleges, including programs and scholarships.
The first issue of LEO (Let’s Eat Out), a new magazine for Toronto food lovers, published by our
friends at Sandbox (Suite 507, 67 Mowat Ave.), was published in June. “Each month, LEO will feature
Toronto restaurant owners, managers and chefs talking about where they like to eat and other things
that make them tick,” says founder and publisher Peter Mazzotta. “It’s an insider’s guide to the
fabulous restaurants this city has to offer.” Another component of LEO is an industry hub available
on their website. It provides a live forum for restaurateurs to share ideas and recommendations
along with support and advice with other restaurateurs. The first issue contains everything from an
article with practical parenting advice on dining out with children, to another on fighting the
excessive packaging waste that’s a part of most take-out experiences.
Bridge Factory (BF) (Suite 122, 67 Mowat Ave.) was hired by Canadian Tire to help
revitalize the visual and experience design of the Mastercraft private label. Steered
by ethnographic (qualitative) research and market and user findings, BF developed
a consistent visual brand language that is being applied across the brand’s 700+
SKU count. Bridge Factory also produced a series of visual brand language guides that
define how to design a Mastercraft tool, allowing internal stakeholders and vendors
to manage and maintain visual consistency after project completion. “We’re very excited
to see it on the market and look forward to watching its success,” says Sam Ferguson,
president of Bridge Factory.
Uberflip (Suite 100, 1183 King St. W.) has been converting
their clients’ PDFs into branded, page-turn flipbooks
since 2009. They generously worked with us to create an
online flipbook version of the York Heritage Business
Directory (http://yorkheritage.uberflip.com/t/54102).
The latest initiative from Uberflip involves converting all
sorts of content (videos, tweets, blogs) into Hubs.
You’ll find more info at www.uberflip.com.
AROUND THE BLOCK
Toronto Carpet Factory
in the spotlight
New runners at
the Carpet Factory
We were delighted to provide assistance earlier this
year to Quadrangle Architects Limited with their
We’ve appreciated your
installation for Come Up To My Room, the Gladstone
favourable comments on the
Hotel’s Annual Alternative Design Event (pictured
new runners that can be found
in a number of the hallways
left). They used the image of a carpet – and carpet
manufacturing – to highlight the rich history of the Gladstone Hotel.
throughout the complex.
We like to give credit where
The Carpet Factory was also featured in an exhibition at the Design Exchange on the Vertical
Urban Factory (pictured below). The project, launched at the Skyscraper Museum in New York City,
credit is due, and it belongs
featured the innovative architecture of factories that are both located in cities (urban) and vertical
to Magda Robak from
(layered floor by floor). The project’s curators were happy
Ellman Design (Suite 343,
to find out that we still had a number of old photographs
67 Mowat Ave.). We’re
from back in the day to use in their exhibit.
also pleased with Magda’s
selection and, in addition
The organizers of this year’s Doors Open Toronto felt
that the Carpet Factory embodied their theme for 2013
to that, find her an absolute
(Creators, Makers and Innovators), so we agreed to
pleasure to work with!
participate in the weekend-long celebration of Toronto’s
architectural heritage. Over 1,300 people toured through
the building and kept volunteers hopping.
Music Canada promotes 4479
Music Canada (85 Mowat Ave.) is involved in a new
branding initiative to position Toronto as one of the
greatest music cities in the world. Entitled “4479 Toronto:
Music meets world,” the campaign is assembling artists,
musicians, fans and music industry workers to nurture
the city’s music scene and its reputation as an international hub of music production,
performance and tourism. It also aims to stimulate partnership opportunities and
create a more business-friendly environment at City Hall, including a “music office”.
The campaign, named for the city’s geographical longitude and latitude coordinates,
is looking to Austin, Texas for inspiration while formulating strategies to grow Toronto’s
music economy. Music Canada’s work inspired a trade mission to Austin in October.
“Our research shows that Toronto can gain a great deal from working closely with
Austin, Texas in development of our music cluster. Both cities boast highly active
music industries that employ thousands of people and generate a great deal of economic
activity. Austin can demonstrate how to leverage our music scene in order to attract
The Shuttle is published for the Liberty Village
community by York Heritage Properties,
owner/manager of the Toronto Carpet Factory,
York Liberty Buildings, 2 Atlantic Ave.,
161 Liberty Street and 2 Fraser Ave.
67 Mowat Avenue, Suite 340
Toronto, Ontario, M6K 3E3
Tel. (416) 484 -1250 Fax: (416) 484 -1257
Web site: www.yorkheritage.com E-mail: [email protected]
Layout/Production/Printing: Moveable Inc.
Editor: Jane Siklos
tourists, talent and business investment in music as well as related industries,” says
Graham Henderson, President, Music Canada.
Music Canada is a non-profit trade organization founded in 1964 that represents
Canada’s major labels and promotes their interests, as well as those of their partners,
the artists. The organization provides information and resources to those within the
FSC LOGO
industry, as well as to government, media and business. They guide consumers to legal
ways to access and use music and they administer the gold/platinum awards program
for bestselling recordings in Canada.
Music Canada also works closely with recording studios, live music venues, concert
promoters and managers in the development of the music cluster.
Printed on Rolland Enviro™100, a 100% postconsumer paper, certified Ecologo, Processed
Chlorine Free, FSC Recycled and manufactured
using biogas energy.